Barbell Rack Pull

How to Perform the Barbell Rack Pull

Set the safety pins in a squat rack to just below or just above knee height.
Load a barbell on the pins and stand with your feet hip-width apart, the bar over your midfoot.
Hinge at the hips and grip the bar just outside your knees with a double overhand or mixed grip.
Flatten your back, lift your chest, and brace your core hard by taking a deep breath.
Drive through your feet and extend your hips to lift the bar off the pins, keeping it close to your body.
Lock out at the top by standing tall — squeeze your glutes, retract your shoulder blades, and hold briefly.
Lower the bar back to the pins under control, reset your position, and repeat.

Setting the pins too high and barely moving the bar

Set the pins at or just below knee height for a meaningful range of motion.

Rounding the upper back under heavy loads

Keep your chest up, lats engaged, and shoulder blades retracted.

Hyperextending at the top

Stand tall and squeeze your glutes at lockout — do not lean back excessively.

Bouncing the bar off the pins between reps

Reset fully on the pins between each rep to build genuine strength.

●Use chalk or lifting straps — rack pulls allow very heavy loads that will challenge your grip.
●Vary the pin height across training cycles for different emphasis.
●Treat the rack pull as a deadlift accessory to strengthen your weakest portion of the lift.

Strength

4-5 sets of 3-5 reps at 85-95% 1RM

Hypertrophy

3-4 sets of 6-10 reps at 70-80% 1RM

Endurance

2-3 sets of 10-15 reps at 55-65% 1RM

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Articles featuring the barbell rack pull in workout programs and training advice.

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